Randolph Singers To Perform In Premiere of ‘Magnificat’

The Randolph Singers and the Mad River Chorale will co-present the American premiere of a contemporary Magnificat Saturday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. at the Barre Opera House.

While essentially a religious piece of music, based on the "Song of Praise of Mary" from the Gospel of Luke, this contemporary choral work has elements of jazz, rock music, and funk. Piero Bonamico will conduct the choirs, and there will be solos performed by Andrea Bonamico.

Written in 2004-05 by Christoph Schönherr, professor at the Hamburg Conservatory of Music, a respected expert in the field of jazz and pop choirs, the piece was to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the International Festival Choir, which meets every year at Ochsenhausen, now the State Academy for Young Musicians, in Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany. Ochsenhausen was the former Imperial Benedictine Abbey and, as such, was for centuries a great patron of music.

Schönherr wrote that, "I have been especially influenced by the polarity of the text. On one hand it expresses Mary’s joy at her pregnancy, but on the other, Mary presents a bold image of God: a God of almost Old Testament sternness in his demand for justice on earth. My music depicts a strong woman, who rejoices in her happiness, but on the other hand, who in formulating her concept of God clearly stands up for the poor and needy. Here I use stylistic elements of rock and funk music."

The Randolph Singers and the Mad River Chorale are non-auditioned community choruses that perform a wide variety of repertoires throughout the year. The singers are of all ages and all walks of life and enjoy both the artistic and social rewards provided by this experience. The Mad River Chorale is a non-profit arts organization that also operates the Bundy Center for the Arts in Waitsfield.

For tickets, call the BOH box office at 802-476-8188, or go on line to www.barreoperahouse.org. For more information about the concert, call 802-496-4781.

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